Improvement in seat-springs for vehicles



BENJAMIN HERSHEYY.

Improvement in Seat Springs for Vehicles.

Nn.- 118,452. Patented Aug. 29, 1871. zywz.

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UNITED STATES 'PATENT t OFFICE.

BENJAMIN HEBSHEY, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, E. GEER, RICHARD DUDLEY., AND RICHARD F. GAGGIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAT-SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,452, dated August 29, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN HERsHEY, ofthe city and county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat-Springs for Vehicles and other purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon making part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side view of a wagon-seat with my improved spring attached. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan view of the upper board of. the seat, showing the arrangement of the springs thereon. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower board, representing the arrangement of the rocking-shaft thereon. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are modifications.

The object of my invention is to furnish, for wagon-seats, childrens carriages, trucks, light buggies, &c., a torsion-spring, so formed and attached as to be neat, cheap, and durable in construction, and easy, reliable, and effective in operation. This I accomplish, and in this my invention chiey consists, by securing at`the opposite sides of each end of the board a pair of steel rods. These rods are so bent as to furnish springs of this contour, viz., a longitudinal arm and a long and short horizontal arm. Through the former, acting as a lever, the torsional action of the spring is exerted, while the latter acts as a brake-lever to prevent the revolution of the bearing-arm. As I have said, these arms are arranged in pairs, and are to be so secured to the seat or other bed-piece that throughout their entire surfaces the various arms or distinctive featuresV of the one shall run or lie parallel to those of the other. My invention also consists in so connecting the free ends of these lever-arms to the elbow or crank ends of a shaft that is secured on the opposite plate or other suitable bearing, that, when in action, the spring shall impart to the load a slight swinging or rocking movement. While it is true with a heavy load such motion is not desirable in a seat or in a childs carriage, it is not objectionable; but, on the contrary, agreeable and pleasant.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe it construction and operation.

A is the upper plate or board ofa wagon-seat, the bed-piece of achilds carriage, or other like uminates in an eye, c. g

ing been manipulated or worked into the form support. On this board or bed-piece are secured the springs. These springs are formed of steel rods, suitably tempered to secure the desired elasticity, and consist of a longitudinal rod, B', and two horizontal arms, C C. The long arm C, which is the lever-arm, and by means of which the torsional action of the spring is exerted, ter- The steel rods B B, havdescribed, are arranged in pairs near the opposite ends of the board or plate A, laying one partially within the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.v The arms B B lie longitudinally across the bed-piece, and in which position they are rigidly secured by means of staples b b. The arms C G also lie on the bed-piece at right angles to the arms B B, while the long lever-arms CVG-fall from the bed-piece at a decided angle of inclination, as clearly shown in Fig. l. D D are shafts or arms, and are secured on the lower plate or support A'. These arms D D are so attached, by staples a c, at the opposite ends of the board A as to allow of their partial revolution, which secures the proper torsional action of the spring and insures the desired rocking movement to the person or load supplied. These arms D D ter minate at each end in elbow or crank-shaped heads d d, as clearly shown in the drawing. On

' the lateral bearing-pins or stumps el cl of these heads t and are secured the eyes c c of the leverarms C C, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 4, 5, and 6. Instead of securing the rods D D to such a bearing-surface as A, they may be secured in brackets F F, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and -5, and which may be attached to the sides of the box or body or to any other convenient support. If a vhigh seat is desired, such a device as is illustrated in Fig. 6 may be used.

From the foregoing description the operation of the spring will be readily understood. The eyes c c being passed over the stumps d d', the proper connection between the springs B B and the rockingshafts D D is effected. Pressure being applied on the board A of course has a tendency to depress the same. This depression of the board insures a double movement; the rods D D are partially turned, and the lever-arms C C also meeting with resistance, they so twist the arms B B as to exert the torsional action of the spring, and thus is secured the desired working of the spring.

Having thus fully describedmyinvention, what arranged as to operate substantially as described. I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by y In testimony whereof I have signed my name Letters Patent of the United States, is to this specification in the presence of two sub- 1. The rocking-shafts D D, when constructed serbing Witnesses. as stated, and so secured as to act in connection BENJAMIN HERSHEY. With atorsional spring, substantially as described. Witnesses:

2. The torsion-spring` rods B B and roeking- CH. VTREUBER, shafts D D, when the same are so combined and J. F. WALTHER. 

